The Book of Gold: Starlights
by eatsyourface
Summary: The first book in the Chronicles of Kinmoku.
1. They Return

**Chronicles of Kinmoku **

Written by the Guardian Gods of Delphi, from their eyes 

The Book of Gold: Starlights 

Prologue: They Return. 

**_Kasei._**

I am Kasei, a Guardian God of Delphi. My name means "Fire-star." I will tell you now that my love for Fire exceeds almost everything. I can manipulate wind and air. 

********** 

Life was rich. The Queen knew it, her courtiers knew it, and so did the whole world. They prospered on their little planet in their little Star System, on the edge of the galaxy. Yes, life was sweet. 

Everyday, everybody woke up to a clear blue sky, to the sounds of birds, and to the sweet scent of olives. Well, obviously not **every** day- five months of the Kinmoku year were cold and unbearable. 

The seasons on Kinmoku were rather irregular. At the start of the year, three months were cold and unbearable. Everybody stayed in their homes, preferring the warm fire place to going out and freezing into live ice blocks. 

After that, were three months of windy and rainy days, and the occasional hot day. 

The next four months of the year was spent plowing the fields, planting seeds, growing crops to prepare for the next years' hard winter. Days here were so hot that many people were tempted to abandon their fields, but all with common sense knew that they would regret it when winter came again. 

The final season was their favorite. Made up of two months, days were always clear, the temperature perfect for them to relax. The people used the last month here before the cold months came to prepare themselves before the next season set in. They gathered their crops, took to the markets to trade, returning home with warm furs and other necessities. 

So on one particular day, a lady stood at the balcony, face turned up to the sky. She couldn't have been more then twenty-two years old, with long red hair, pale skin and rosebud lips. She was short, and slender, and graceful even in the simplest movement; from lifting a goblet to her lips, down to brushing a strand of hair out of her face- if one managed to escape somehow. 

She was the old Queen of Kinmoku, ruler for years, and now her time was coming to an end. Already, two of her most faithful soldiers had departed the land of the living to exist among the stars, and it was only her, another, and the final one- the most faithful? 

_'My baby lies in its crib. She is safe,'_ she thought, relieved. With a soft sigh, she lowered her gaze down to the land, and a moment later, someone stood by her side. 

"My time is near, My Queen," murmured a deep voice. It was a woman; tall, body hardened by years of battle, an attractive face and long hair… the color of the night skies. 

"I know, Fighter, I know." She smiled sadly. "And soon, you will leave me, just like Healer and Maker did." 

"Death is someone no one can control. She comes of her own will [1]." She nodded at the words of her Soldier. 

"Li, Vittorio, Yukio, Kasei [2][3]." Her voice was quiet, as she summoned Us. 

"Majesty," murmured Li from behind her a moment later. The Queen smiled, and so did We; We knew what she thought; she had the two of the people she needed most with her. 

"What did the Guardian Gods of Delphi see?" Grey eyes, the color of fog gazed into hers. The tall men that stood before her: like she and the Starlights, like myself and the others, had never aged past their early twenties. Li then (and still is) was tall, slender, his skin so pale. His hair was the color of blue ice, and that framed his face. 

Though he may deny it, Vittorio was considered just as handsome, with his forest green hair, pale skin and golden-brown eyes. 

Yukio was the most volatile of us, and it showed in his crimson eyes. Blonde hair framed a pale face, he was worshipped from afar for his beauty. 

People often wondered; 'Who were they? Who were the men that stood behind the Queen? What power did they have over her?' We never bothered answering any of the whispers, and those whispers would soon turn to understanding. 

"We saw many things." 

_"Times have been peaceful for a long while now, and it will continue to be like that for centuries to come." _

"We have a feeling, that after you and Fighter leave, we will not be seeing the Soldiers of Kinmoku for a long time." 

"Don't ask foolish questions, Queen." 

I could hear Vittorio's wry thought: 'Was Yukio the only one then that dared speak like that to the Queen- to **any** of the Queens? He that would come with what others would consider **brazen** answers and remarks.' 

_"It should not come as a surprise. They are not yet needed, and neither, are we." _

"'Yet' would be the key word, Queen." Li laughed inwardly then, saying to Vittorio and I, 'Yes, he would be.' 

_"We do not know when, and We are not certain as to whether this event will truly come to pass, but when and **if**, Yukio, **if** it does, we must be ready."_

I think that even then, he was the only one who truly knew everything, yet did not understand anything. 

_"A new enemy will rise, and She will take the galaxy. Nobody will be able to stop Her, save one, with the purest heart."_

If the thought that we would not see the Starlights again, nor the Queen herself, upset us, the words that came from Vittorio's mouth did. 

_"We have seen the destruction of the Kinmoku Star System."_

********** 

**_Vittorio_**

I am Vittorio, one of the Guardians of Delphi. My power comes from deep with in the earth. I am certain that those who hear my name will forever remember it. 

********** 

As times came and went events were recorded into three books: the Book of Gold, story teller of all the myths and legends, political events and trade in the Book of Silver, the Book of Bronze for war and death. Famines, tragedies, anything that had the whole world weeping were recorded. The crowning of the Queens of Kinmoku were recorded, the death of their greatest heroes. 

What started all this, was a woman. Another Queen of Kinmokusei, nobody said her name out of respect, and until this day she was known as just, the Old Queen. 

It began just after the death of her beloved soldier, the great Sailor Star Fighter. Nobody knew why she started it, all knew that it had began with the making of three books, large in sizes, wrought with Gold, Silver or Bronze respectively. White paper filled the covers, with an olive design as the border. 

The first entry went into the Book of Gold: 

_This first entry goes not in Bronze, but in Gold, for in this way I am able to write down the stories of the Starlights. Three heroes of Kinmokusei… _

The deaths of Healer, Maker, and now, Fighter. Kinmoku weeps with me. Let us honor their memory. 

**Sailor Starlights**

Since the beginning of time, as we are all have been aware, Soldiers have existed to protect us. Soldiers that have been gifted with the power of their respective planets. 

… not all soldiers are known, it can be said that there have been cases where Sailor Soldiers have been unaware of the existence of others outside their Star System. 

Can it be said that perhaps we are the luckiest? Of course, that is what every one would think, for the Soldier they know is also their friend. 

To one, who has never met the Starlights, it would seem that They were actually Gods, and not mere mortals like the majority of the people, unable to die or be wounded in battle, or in the heart. But that is not true and that's what makes them all the more great… 

… and that never have they faltered in battle to protect their Queen, or, more importantly, their planet from evil… 

… their hearts know no evil, and so in this way… 

… that they fear nothing, that their purpose is to defend… 

… and in this way, they have sacrificed their lifes for the sake of millions of more. 

Underneath that, were three illustrations, drawn by four men, the four men sharing the same title of 'Shugoshin'. Us. Writing filled the next few pages in the Queen's own hand, telling the great stories of the legendary fighters of Kinmoku. She refused to let anybody else save Us and herself write in the book. When she completed the final chapter, she laid down her pen, and shut the books. 

_Let only the heart of Kinmoku near. _

The book will open of its own accord. When anything great has happened, no matter how horrible or magnificent, you will write. And after that, you will open Silver, and tell of the recovery from those events. 

She died, the books a part of her legacy to her daughter. Her daughter kept the tradition going, as did her daughter, as did her daughter. 

Each Queen made sure to write in the book at least once. The stories were written in every form available; illustrations, song, everything, and every time the pages ran out, another would appear for the next Queen to continue her chapter. 

One of her descendents wrote the following. 

_"They have not been seen for a long time. After the death of the Old Queen, they did not come. They did not show themselves to the world, but then again, why would they? Times were wonderful, there was no evil foe to deal with. _

"Before the Old Queen died, four men by the names of Li, Yukio, Kasei and Vittorio warned her of a future peril. They could not give her enough details, only that it would be in the distant future, and that once it had risen, it would be near invincible. It was later learnt that they each shared the title of Shugoshin no Deruphui. Guardian Gods of Delphi.That secret place where none but a precious few can go and come bach with their minds unchanged. It is unclear as to where the other two were. 

"It is said that after the Book of Gold was shut, that the existence of Shatter Glass was revealed. It is unclear as to what Shatter Glass truly was, who and when it was created… 

"But it is said, that Shatter Glass will herald the return of our greatest warriors." 

********** 

**_Li._**

I am Li, Guardian God. I will control as is my want, though I will follow if need be. I can be as calm as still water, or as wild as the raging storms of the seas. That is my element; water. 

********** 

So when the time came for Us to wake, well, it seemed... rather strange. 

We were in a dark room... perhaps room would not suit what I am trying to say. 

...There is no proper way to describe what we were in, I suppose. Just this dark space in Delphi. And it was so dark, and so quiet. 

From what I, and the others have observed of the people, they sometimes need something to wake them up, especially if they've had a late night. So you would think that it were rather strange when we just... woke. In that space, there couldn't have been any sound created, or anything else for that matter that would warrant us waking, but still we did. 

We opened our eyes at the same time. And through each of our minds, thoughts and flashes of memory passed through. 

_Women, all with pale skin, ruby eyes and red hair. _

Three women standing together, in skimpy black suits, hair in ponytails. 

A red planet, in space. 

And so We stood, stretching slowly. 

_'God,' _

'But my neck hurts…!' That was what came from Kasei and Yukio respectively. Vittorio just waved his hand in that way of his, and a mirror mounted onto a silver pedestal appeared. We all crowded around it then; there was an image on it. A 'young' woman lay on a four-poster bed, her eyes closed. 

"The Queen," I murmured, I admit, unnecessarily. The others looked at me sadly. 

"Is it starting already?" asked Yukio. Kasei sighed, his platinum hair moving in the breezeless space. 

"It's coming to pass. There's still time. To meet her," rumbled Vittorio. I nodded, and opened a portal, and we all walked through. 

I believe that Kasei was the last to leave. 

"It's starting…" was all I heard, before we were in another room. We all heard a tired voice, cooing to somebody. 

"Kakyuu, my baby, my sweet little angel." She smiled, painfully at her young daughter, the future Queen of Kinmoku. The small baby gurgled with delight at the tiny noises she made, before finally falling asleep. 

"My precious baby, I have foreseen, the times ahead. Perhaps… a hallucination?" She closed her eyes, and we could see in her memory she heard the sound of glass breaking. Blood stained shards. 

"I cannot tell you exactly what it was that you saw," I murmured. She started, her ruby eyes searching the shadows desperately. Her thoughts were shining like a beacon from her mind, and Kasei laughed at that. 

_No energy, I cannot fight all four if they are-_

_'You have lost your touch, if you cannot sense who We am/what Our intentions are.'_ The Queen relaxed. True, she had worried over nothing. Out of the shadows, we appeared, four tall men. Like something out of a mystery. All with pale skin, all slender, and by the way We carried ourselves, we were obviously very experienced fighters. Vittorio with his green hair and brown eyes, I with my light blue hair and grey eyes, Yukio with his golden hair and crimson eyes and Kasei with his platinum hair and matching eyes. 

"My time is near," she whispered the obvious. She had no strength left to communicate via the mind. We smiled, almost wistfully. 

"We swore fealty to your ancestor, the first Queen of Kinmoku those long years ago." 

"We oversaw the training of all the Starlights…" 

"We were there when the Old Queen died, leaving the Books here." Her eyes widened in shock. 

"You- can't- be- Not now!" Our mouths twisted wryly at that. 

"The Starlights will receive the proper training, and in time, each of them will exceed our own combined power… if they don't at their first battle… You have our promise, Queen, that as the Guardians of Delphi We will protect Kakyuu with our life." She could only stare in horror at our bleak faces, a truly horrible way to enter the next world. 

********** 

**_Yukio._**

I am Yukio, one of the Guardians of Delphi. "Snow" is my name, Fire is my game. Air will either make me, or break me. 

********** 

I doubt the others noticed then, but I did. I did not say anything thought, because there was no point. Telling them would not have done anything. 

You see, there's a room in the palace. Few people visit it now, only several maids who have been assigned to take care of it, and of course, the Queen herself. 

What was so special about this room? Read carefully. 

Firelight shone into this room. Other then the flickering of the flames, there was no visible movement. The window showed the starry sky, and it was almost eerily silent. As if the world knew what was going on in the palace. 

Inside this room, was a large stone pedestal. And resting on that stone pedestal, were two stone cats. They were facing each other, resting on their bellies, the paws in front of them, almost touching each other. Surrounded by the pedestal, were dishes of water, and some cakes, flowers, other cute toys. One of the ears on the cats twitched. 

I must admit, that brown mouse was pretty ugly. Should've been burnt. And places were in need of a bit of dusting, too. 

It happened again, a second time, only this time it had nothing to do with the cats. 

A few months after the birth of Kakyuu, three celestial bodies in the sky flared to life, and I could swear, that there were three voices whispering. Right. 

_Princess, we are here._

I went out then, and I looked up. **Really** looked up. If one cared to look up at the sky, they would see three shooting stars streak through the sky. That got me for a moment. 

_Reunited again._

If one lived close enough to the palace, perhaps they would see three spectral forms hover above the palace, before streaking off in opposite directions. Coherent thought left my mind then. For some reason. It was probably because of the centuries spent sleeping away. 

_We are sorry, that we were not there for you these years._

But once coherent thought returned to my mind, I knew. Because if one thought hard enough of their myths and legends, then they would know that They had returned. 

Once I listened outside, while an old lady told her grand child who 'They' were. 

_'Grandmaman, who are the They? What are Their names?' _

'They, are the three bravest soldiers of Kinmoku.' 

'Who?' 

'The Book of Gold would tell you. The Book of Gold would tell you of all their deeds.' 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

1. Okay, look, it seems that what I said about Death being the sister of Hades was incorrect. What I heard actually came from... *gulp* Xena: Warrior Princess. So now, I am just referring to Death as She. 

2. Yuki is Japanese for "snow". It is a female name. Yukio is the masculine version of that. The 'o' at the end is added for it to be the name of a man. Heh, snow-man. Kasei means 'fire-star'. More specifically, Mars. The logic? Read on. 

3. **Warning. Warning. Major changes alert.** Alrighty, as you can see, there have been a few substantial changes. Who the heck is Vittorio? What about the other two unnamed men? Where in the heck is Delphi and who in the flying **** are the "Deruphui no Shugoshin"?? Find out next time in... **Dragon. Ball. Z.**


	2. Shugoshin no Deruphui

**Chapter 1: Shugoshin no Deruphui **

The Book of Gold 

_There is no name for Their realm: no name, that gives That place proper justice. No mere mortal may enter, and come back unchanged. Only the strong may enter, with the hope that when they return, their minds will still be intact. Only the good can enter, with the knowledge that their souls will not be taken away within Its depths. _

Those that enter mold That place to fit their souls, and their desires, and that's what makes the place more dangerous. Because along with that, their greatest fears come alive. 

They who guard the gate way will tell you now, that for centuries no being has entered or left That place save for Themselves. 

They who guard the entrance will tell you that for millenniums none but the greatest fighters have entered. 

They who guard the door way hold great power, and yet have none. 

They are the four Guardian Gods of Delphi. 

~Excerpt from the Book of Gold (Author Unknown). 

Delphi is truly a most wondrous place. 

It doesn't exist in the true world- at least, not the one that everybody knows. 

To get there, you need to know how to create a portal: a portal that will get you from one dimension into another. It requires a lot of control and also the ability to free your mind. And it is also very dangerous, for those foolish enough to think they can handle the distance. 

Millenniums back, the whole galaxy was aware of the existence of this place, and of Us, its guardians. There would always be someone there, other then myself and the others. 

The reason, for the existence of Delphi, was few, but important. 

Delphi was there for questions to be asked, and answered. 

A way for the people of different star systems to meet, greet, form alliances, and other important things. 

And It was there for the Sailor Soldiers of the Galaxy to be trained. 

A great soldier called Delphi a living thing once, after she had battled and defeated It. She told Us that somehow It had been able to read her mind and find out her fears, and set them against her, and to train her physically and emotionally for the world. I think that perhaps she was in there longest. She thanked us, Shugoshin no Deruphui for our help. 

Millenniums after she was the galaxy's greatest foe. 

So that's what Delphi does. It reads your mind and your soul and finds out what type of person you are, and who you will become. Whether it is a diplomat, a ruler, a soldier, Delphi will know. Delphi will find your strengths and weakness, and use them to your greatest advantage. It will hone your skills. 

It will also pit your deepest and darkest fears against you, so that in the end, Delphi may have done more harm then good. 

Delphi will mold itself to suit the mind of the person. 

We have lived a long time, since the beginning of time, to be exact. I think that the only reason we were born was to guard Delphi from intruders, and intruders from Delphi. Each gifted with the basic elements that formed It, even we have no complete control over It. Perhaps we can lessen what It is doing to the person. We can heal what has been damaged. And we are also linked to It. 

When people met there We were also there to monitor. Some of the people there had had no great control over this place, and so We were required to keep things under control. 

I think this is what made people stop coming; the stories of unfortunate souls going made within this place. Over the centuries, they stopped coming and coming until it was only a minor percentage of the galaxy that dared enter to train. Because those people stopped coming, they forgot about this place. 

The Soldiers of Kinmokusei have never stopped coming here, and so I think it's because of that We have developed bonds with them. Why We've been there to help and assist them willingly, traveling in between worlds instead of requiring their presence in Delphi. 

********** 

After We woke, we were quite torn between preparing Delphi and finding the Starlights. I remember that Kasei and Vittorio had an argument just over that, and it took both Yukio and myself to calm the two down. Yukio spoke then. 

"Only one of the Starlights has been born. It would be best to wait for the other two; when that happens we should get them. The longer they are with their parents, particularly their mothers, the harder it will be for us." He spoke as if he were merely commenting on the weather. It was then that we thought that only Yukio could treat something as dire as this as if it were a situation that could be fixed with a wave of our hand. But his say would be the best to listen to for now, because what he said was most likely true. 

He has this special ability to feel emotions. Perhaps that is why he and Healer get along so well. 

So after what he said, we opened a portal back to Delphi. Vittorio was the first to enter, then me, then Yukio, and finally, Kasei. It was rather strange to be back there; seeing Delphi so barren from centuries of being untended. Vittorio, Kasei and I immediately began to work, while Yukio sat down and meditated. 

"Damn him. He should be moving his ass and helping us." Kasei has the face of an angel, yet he speaks like a common thug. 

We just shrugged, and Vittorio released his mental shields, allowing his power to flow out of his being and into the area around him. Beneath our feet, solid ground slowly formed. 

Maybe a few weeks after we started, I let down my own mental shields, and let my own power flow forth. The earth was watered, allowing plants and trees and shrubs to grow. Animals, and the monsters of Delphi appeared, and Kasei breathed lift into them. 

It was then that Yukio moved. He was the last to release his shields, after Kasei, and he heated Delphi, encouraging the plants and trees to further grow, warming the animals and monsters. 

We stayed like that for months like that, allowing Delphi to grow. When you have been alive since the beginning, a few months is but a few minutes of our life. 

Kasei was the one that first put up his shields again. 

_"Star Fighter is alive. In this world."_ He glanced at Yukio, who had followed suit. The fire god met his eyes, and then gestured for us to follow. Vittorio and I pulled away at the same time, and stepped back out into Kinmoku. 

********** 

We went first to palace. The records would be held there, in the new computer-machines and searching them would help us. We were to take note of the children who were born this year, three and two months after each other respectively. 

"That of course just narrows the list down to **hundreds** of children." commented Vittorio mildly, when Yukio told us this. Yukio scowled at the Earth God. 

"Be glad that we have more then just names to work on," he snarled. 

That was something else we had 'going for us'. The names of our people generally don't mean anything just by themselves. However, if one were to… 'mix-and-match', then there could be many possibilities. Fifty percent of the population of Kinmoku's names has something to do with olive blossoms, or any flower in general. Thirty percent have something to do with the elements. Fifteen percent have something to do with rocks and or minerals and the remaining five have something to do with celestial bodies. That of course, was just a very simple example. A person's name could mean flower if used in one context, and kill if used in another. 

But those to do with celestial bodies remain in the minor percentage. And even then, the ones we search for don't necessarily follow the rules of being named after stars (rare though this may be). Only fate would decree something as whimsical as this. 

Vittorio scrolled down the window, typing a few things. He always was rather adept at things like this; working out how to use the latest technology for his own ends. 

"Perhaps we could filter through?" he now suggested airily. A few strokes of the key and finally a click on 'enter', and we were given a list of ten matches. Not much compared to what we had had to go through in the past. Perhaps Fate was lending us a hand, due to what she was planning for us in the future. 

"By the light of the night sky," groused Yukio, "If we don't find them now there will be hell to pay for from me!" Kasei smiled indulgently down at him. 

"I'm sure," he murmured. Clicking on 'next' to look at the next five names, we waited for the page to load. When it finally did- 

"Shit," breathed Kasei. 

The first name at the top of the list was Yaten Kou. 

All of us turned to Yukio, who looked rather stunned at the name. Kasei will swear years later that had the situation not been so dire, he would have snatched up a pencil and paper and recorded the look on Yukio's face. 

We had to eliminate seven houses, to find the other two Starlights. Yukio and I each scryed in fire and water respectively. Almost immediately after I had started, I was able to cross off Sei, Kaze, and Hikari while Yukio said that Chi, Tsuki, Hoshi and Tenshi [1] didn't belong. We were left with Seiya Kou and Taiki Kou. 

"Kou, Kou, and Kou." 

"How quaint." 

********** 

In the years that we had gone, Kinmokusei had obviously changed remarkably. The buildings were much more modernized and the clothes were very different to the style that had been seen in our time. What a sight we must have made in our velvet suits and matching flowing capes. The ruffles certainly didn't help, and We were subject to many stares and whispers. The capes were still here, but everything else had changed. None that we could see carried swords. 

A little boy ran up to us and asked us if he could play with our swords. His mother walked up, dragged him away giving us disapproving looks while another girl whom we presumed to be his older sister gave us an admiring glance. Yukio glanced away with a snort, and began to walk in a different direction. 

"We aren't required to go together are we?" he asked. Kasei scowled. 

"If they are of nobles, no doubt we will be required to supervise." He'd had experience in that area. 

"If they are… 'commoners'," Vittorio curled his lip at that 'title', "We'll still have to be there." 

"Both 'levels' have their problems but their one common fault is that they all have sticks up their asses which need to be removed now before somebody gets hurt!" Yukio glared at us all, and it was then agreed that any release of power might harm someone physically and or mentally, if one were careful. Tact would play an important part of this. 

I studied the environment; hot and humid, clear skies, the smell of sweat permeating the air, and that tiny little spark that shouted "Goddamn this heat!" Sailor Star Healer was here. 

********** 

The home of the Yaten family was rather flashy. Paintings decorated the walls, priceless vases from so-and-so times rested on dark wooden stone pedestals, decorative rugs covered the floor. Yukio nodded approvingly, – he had caught on quickly to the styles of this era- Vittorio obviously thought this was a waste of money and Kasei's expression was neutral. I'm not sure what showed on my face, though judging by Yukio's smirk, it wasn't very pretty. The servant glanced at us almost nervously, stopped outside a door and knocked. 

"Yes?" came a voice from inside. 

"Milord, Milady, visitors here to pay their respects to the child!" 

"Let them in, Furansowa!" 'Furansowa' opened the door and beckoned us in. There was a sneer on Kasei's face. 

_'The little monster has called the guards!'_ Sure enough, we felt several people join him at the door a moment later. Weilding metal pointy things that go into other men. Our swords weren't much of a reassurance to them. Perhaps we should've "lost them". But even then, that would not have been much help. Yukio and Kasei always brought on that reaction, with the little mischievous and cold looks in their eyes, and Vittorio's stoicism. I, on more then one occasion have been called too blasé- until they see the seemingly "sly" look in my eyes. And to think we actually bothered bringing flowers- olive blossoms to be exact. 

_'Stupid mortals,'_ hissed Yukio. Heh, he always was one with words. A short, rather tubby man- we assumed he was the master of the house- stood and bowed. Vittorio was the first to bow, and we followed suit, before he started speaking. 

"Greetings. I am Yaten Hiroshi," 

"And I am his wife, Yumiko," spoke the lady. She stood and curtsied before sitting back down. It was then we noticed the little basket at her feet and the child that sat with in it. Maybe half a year old at the most. 

"My wife and I-" he looked at Yumiko- "Would like to thank you for your kindness." She smiled beautifully at us, and Yukio stepped forward to hand her the flowers. By the looks in our eyes, he must've known that we wanted something because he gestured to the chairs. 

"Eh, sit down! Sit down!" Kasei walked to the window and stood there, looking outside. Yukio moved a bit to the side, letting Vittorio do the talking, and I positioned myself near the door way. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Yaten, I must ask you to keep calm and silent until I have finished speaking." They stared at him coolly, disliking the way he seemed to take charge. 

"Here, I am known only as Vittorio." Yumiko's eyes narrowed; she obviously recognized the name. Where from though, was a different matter. 

"I'm sure that you have realized by now that this is not a social call." Vittorio continued when they did not answer. "It's very important that you understand what we ask of you." There was a sudden gurgle of laughter, and all eyes in the room turned to where Yukio was. He was on his knees, and the child was crawling to him, giggling. Yukio was smirking in amusement, occasionally glancing over at any of us before returning his attention to the small child. 

"Kou," whispered Yumiko. "She doesn't let anybody else touch her beside myself. She **cries** and **screams** if that happens!" Yukio ignored her, picking up the child and cradling her against his chest. He was being uncommonly gentle and patient with a child. 

Yes, here was the future Star Healer. 

"Aren't you a little beauty," murmured Yukio. He looked into her eyes, smiling at the way she followed his movement. 

"I'm sure you've read the Book of Gold." Ah, the three magick words! Their attention was instantly Vittorio's. 

"The Shugoshin no Deruphui are here at your… service. We are here for your child." Ah, but I am sure she must have been so proud to have the Guardian Gods of Delphi in her midst! 

********** 

Taiki Arisu answered the door. She looked at us, and then invited us in when we showed her an envelope bearing the seal of the palace. Her mauve eyes were intelligent as she took in our clothes, our manner, studying each of us carefully as she sat us down. This time, I was the one that spoke. 

"Allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Li." 

"Vittorio." 

"Kasei." 

"Yukio." Her eye twitched as she stared at us for a moment- and then she burst into laughter. Loud, raucous laughter as she stared at them. Her husband ambled in then, looking at us all curiously. 

"What goes?" he asked. 

"Hiromu, love," she giggled, "Meet Li, Vittorio, Kasei and Yukio." He repeated the whole procedure, staring at us, then bursting into laughter. It was pathetic. Obviously these people appreciated a good 'joke', and more importantly, they knew their history. While they wiped their tears of mirth away, Yukio scowled, stood, and walked out the room. Immediately, they stopped. I waited, and sure enough, he returned a few minutes later cradling a bundle of joy. 

"Please tell me the meaning of "Shugoshin no Deruhpui," he said, cradling the child. Arisu flushed at his acidic look, but then he smiled sweetly. 

"'Deruphui' means 'Delphi'. 'Shugoshin' means 'Guardian God.' 'No' is the possesive term. 'Shugoshin no Derphui' means 'Guardian God of Delphi.'" 

Still smiling sweetly, he said, "It's good you know your grammar. But do you know your history?" Arisu nodded. 

"Sir-" Yukio interrupted her. 

"I want your child," he stated. "We, want your child. You cannot stop us, any movement against us will result in your incarceration until you are released by order of any of us. The Guardian God Yukio does not take kindly to being laughed at." The horrified look on their faces convinced us that they would not laugh again. 

********** 

Seiya Daiki was at his store when we arrived. We weren't sure where his wife was, but now wasn't the time to worry or care. We'd find out soon enough anyway. 

He beamed at us, noting the expensive clothes we were, and the swords resting on our hips. 

"How may I help you, sirs?" he asked politely. 

"Is your wife, Orisa here?" asked Vittorio, straight to the point as usual. He blinked, wondering how we knew her name. Kasei smiled and tapped his temple, a secret smile on his face. Daiki winced. 

"I'm sorry, but its business and I'm a bit busy right now. Could this wait?" Yukio shook his head, pointed out the back and then walked in. We followed him, and we could hear a woman cooing to her child, and maybe three other childish voices. 

"Look! Kou smiled at me!" 

"No she didn't! She smiled at ME! ME ME ME!" 

"Girls, please be quiet! You'll wake Kou-kou!" there is a choir of 'Yes mother!' and then there are only 'aw's' and 'cute!'. Yukio opened the door, walked in, and headed straight for where the mother sat. 

"Greetings," he said, bowing. "I am Yukio." 

She was the most intelligent of them all, listening carefully and then stating the terms and conditions. She was right to make the most of her child's time. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

1. Star, Wind, Light, Earth, Moon, Star and Angel respectively. They've all been mentioned in the Starlights image songs, little entry speeches or poems and prologues one way or another. 'Kaze' would be a variation on air. Nyah. 

Vittorio should technically be written as 'Bittorio' since there ain't no v's in the Japanese alphabet. But Vittorio just looks prettier. And where did I get that name? Well, I was searching through this names site, and Vittorio just popped up. Honest. In a Japanese names site no less. It was just screaming to be chosen. 

I've created three new characters obviously (Yuki, Vittorio and Kasei). Please give me your honest opinions on them- are they pointless? Are they worth keeping? They're staying anyway. 

And "Shugoshin no Deruphui"- I hope you've worked out by now what it means- if not, it translates to Guardian God of Delphi. 

*looks at calendar* *Randomly points out a date* January 20th, 2003. Okay, by this date I should have at least another chapter for any of my fanfictions out, of suitable quality and length. If not, well, there's nothing you can do about it because you don't know where I live! 


	3. Fighter Awakens

**Chapter 2: Fighter awakens.**

Very early in our immortal lives, we discovered something very important. 

You see, we made a mistake that resulted in a lot of heartbreak, and the result was a millennium of built up resentment. 

Children cannot be taken away from their mothers because it will do damage to all three parties now, and in the future. 

Mothers will experience the pain of having their child ripped away. The thought of the child they gave life to just taken away like that would be unbearable. 

Children will grow up and regret that they missed out on all that time with their parents. They will, perhaps never be as close to their parents as one could get. 

They will resent their guardians for taking them away like that, and hiding the truth. 

After that mistake, we made sure that the Starlights were never away from their parents for an extended period of time, until That Time came. 

********** 

"Mr. and Mrs. Seiya, have you done any reading lately?" the two started at the seemingly innocent and pointless question. They exchanged looks before returning their gazes to Vittorio. 

"Any reading from the Book of Gold?" he clarified. Orisa nodded once. 

"Yes." 

"Then I'm sure that you are very familiar with the legend of the Starlight's return?" Daiki raised an eyebrow. 

"Yes." 

"What is the meaning of this?! What does that have to do with us?" Their confusion was obvious, and Kasei seemed to revel in it. 

"Not you." 

"Just your child. Your third youngest." 

"… You mean Kou?" 

"Yes." 

"I see," said Orisa. But she didn't see. 

"Then I am sure that you are aware of the prophecy made by the four Guardian Gods. I am Vittorio." 

"I am Li." 

"My name is Kasei." 

"And I am Yukio." Orisa got straight to the point though. She did not care for names; not where her daughter was concerned. It seemed she was the spokesman of the pair. 

"How far in the future?" 

"Roughly ten years from now." 

"You know our legend. Please tell it to us." 

"The Guardian Gods of Delphi trained all those with pure hearts, all those who ask for it. However, as time went on, less and less people came, until finally it was only the Kinmokusei soldiers that came. Since then, the Sailor Starlights have been under the guidance of these four men. Centuries ago- maybe even one millennium, none are sure, when the book was first created and the last Starlight died, you foretold the future. That a great evil would come and wipe us all out." 

Daiki continued the tale. 

"You said that until then, time would be peaceful, and so the Starlights would not return to this life. They would return when they were needed. And so would you. And when you returned, you would find the Starlights and you would guide and train them, perfecting all their skills in the hopes they might be able to stop that disaster from happening." 

"Very good," yawned Yukio, already bored. 

"Now, as to why we are here. Seiya Kou is the next Sailor Star Fighter." 

"What?!" Now it was Daiki's turn to speak. His wife sat in shocked silence. 

"You heard Kasei. Your daughter is a future protector of Kinmoku. Somewhere out there, even now, her Guardian Star sends out its power to her." 

"Not- not possible!" 

"Why?" 

"Our daughter- she can't be that!" 

Like I said, they took it rather well. 

"And why not?" 

"She would have no life! She could be hurt! Or, or killed!" 

"But are you willing to sacrifice an entire planet of people, for your daughters' sake? If she does not fulfill her destiny, she won't have a life, period." 

"But-" 

"No buts." 

"We won't take her away from you, we can't do that." 

"We will however ensure she receives the best education possible. When the time is right, we will send for her. It is best that you properly acquaint yourself with your daughter now." 

"When will you come?" 

"When we wish it." 

We made sure of it. We made sure that Seiya Kou had the best teachers in all subjects. The best equipment. She was taught how to add and subtract, to read and write, what chemicals react with what, and so on. 

Most importantly, she was taught to fight. She was taught about the art of war. She was taught about all possible strategies, all past mistakes she and the others may have made in their past lives, diplomacy, honor. 

She was never given any reason why. 

********** 

The earliest memory she had of Him was when she was three. The tall, handsome man with his platinum hair, clear eyes and strong, lithe body, who was always laughing at something. 

The room was so tense; she could feel it even before entering. He was standing by the fire place, when her father led her by the hand into the living room. He looked up from the photos on the mantelpiece when she came in, and smiled, saying, 

"There you are, little munchkin!" she had cowered behind her father's leg, staring up at this man with big sapphire blue eyes and he had laughed, asking if he were truly that scary. Then he had reached into his pocket and taken out a small gift box. 

"Here you are. For the little fighter," he said, kneeling down to her level and holding it out in his hand. She had stared at him warily for a moment, smiled and then toddled forward to take it with a pudgy hand. He did not stand, instead watched as she unwrapped it quickly, and chuckling when she squealed with delight at the chocolate resting inside. 

Her father had smiled too. 

"Say hello to Un-" he stopped at the man's slight glare, and continued. "Say hello to Kasei, Kou-kou." 

"'Uncle' makes me feel so old," 'Kasei' had commented rather wryly. Both men had chuckled at that, though the tension was still there. 

"Hey, dinners' ready," her mother had called then. Kasei had taken her hand gently and walked out, she glancing at her Father before following him to the dining room. 

The whole family sat at the table, and there was a new place next to Kou's seat, for Kasei. Her older sisters Bini and Sofi and her younger brother Shi stared at him in awe at his expensive clothes, the white gold olive arm ring that signified his higher status as an advisor of the palace and the sword he unbuckled at left resting behind the door. Then he sat down beside Kou and looked at Mother and Father, waiting for their movement. 

They bowed their heads and asked if he would like to start the prayer and he smiled and clasped his hands and bowed his head, wishing for peace on Kinmoku and good fortune for the family. 

And then the dishes came, first, bowls full of steamy soup and then plates full of steaming vegetables in sauce, meats and rice, or bread and cheese. And then came desert, small dishes of watermelon, a delicious fruit with pink flesh, and some sweets. 

Kasei heaped Kou's dish with vegetables and meat, telling her to eat so that she would grow up big and strong. She said in reply, 

"Just like you?" and he laughed and nodded. Then he ate up all his own, making a show of it being delicious so that she'd follow his example. 

She did. Slowly and with disgruntlement. 

After that, Kasei and the family gathered again in the living room where Kasei told stories of old myths and legends. First of the Queens, and then one or two about the Starlights, describing them carefully to the family. 

"Which is your favorite, Kou?" he asked kindly. 

"Sailor Star Fighter!" she chirped brightly, and the three adults laughed among themselves as if it were some cute joke. After that, Kasei presented Kou with a picture book filled with bright illustrations, spoke quickly and quietly to her parents, handed them something in a large envelope and took his leave. 

_"Daiki, Orisa, in this envelope is several brochures for different schools. Choose one you think will suit Kou best."_

********** 

Kou was five years old. She was an intelligent girl- when she put her mind to it, and she was just starting at a good school. 

However, her strengths and talents lay in her music, and in sport. She adapted quickly to the drums, but wouldn't play the flute because it was 'too girly'. They were only able to get her to try the piano because her mother had told her that as many, if not more boys played the piano then girls. Then she played it happily. 

Kasei had given her several lessons in both instruments, before finding her a private tutor. He was far too busy. Kou didn't mind though; he always wrote to her- even if she didn't understand some of the things said in the letter and had to get an older family member to translate for her- and every time he visited was a happy one. 

Bini once told her that he favored her; it was obvious from the things he gave her- books (mostly legends about the Kinmoku Soldiers, particularly Star Fighter), a kick ball, a baseball bat and ball, among other things. Kou told her older sister that he gave them all presents, and Bini agreed, but it seemed that he chose special care in her gifts and delighted in her reactions the most. 

She had started lessons in the martial arts, to the obvious dislike of Orisa, but nobody stopped her. Kasei and Daiki encouraged her! The night Kou voiced her desires, with Daiki and Kasei showing their support, showed the start of a full-blown argument. Their voices could be heard all over the street, and Kou often sought the comfort of her myths. She would not cry. 

The lessons had started like this. Kasei had once been telling the children yet another war story. 

"Kasei, you talk as if you were there!" 

"If I were, I'd be too old, wouldn't I?" 

"True…." 

"But can you fight?" 

"Fight? Where did this come from, Sofi?" 

"You carry a sword, don't you?" 

"Of course…" 

"Kasei! Show us some moves!" he had declined at first, but then caved in at four identical sets of pleading eyes. They'd gone into the back yard and he had positioned them away from the reach of the sword. And then he'd gone into a series of movements that flowed into each other, gracefully wielding the sword as if it were part of his body. 

Bini, Shi and Sofi had been in awe- they all had- but it was then that Kou decided she wanted to learn to fight- in particular, with the sword. She had heard plenty of stories about great warriors wielding their swords into battle, but seeing it in action was something else. 

"Teach me how to use that," she ordered. Kasei chuckled at that. 

"Cheeky little devil," he grinned. At her unusually sober look however, he sighed and nodded. 

"We'll have to talk to your parents though." He sheathed his sword. "There are different types of martial arts though- karate, kung fu, judo, and other weapons you can use- sword, the glaive, plenty of them." 

"I want to learn to fight with a sword," was her stubborn reply. Kasei studied her face. 

"You'll learn whatever you want and more," he said seriously. 

********** 

For a time, we were worried about the appearance of a new person in Kou's life. 

Kasei in particular worried about how this girl would influence Kou's decisions. He had reason to be. 

Kou couldn't form bonds anybody; not the type that would keep her from realizing her duty. What if Kou chose to stay behind with her family, rather then go on to train? 

It had happened before but it had been agreed that we could not afford to let that happen in this time. 

"If things come to this, I will interfere," he stated, quite calmly. 

"No need to act so rashly," was Vittorio's calm answer. Yukio balanced a fire ball in his hand. All knew that he would support Kasei, if anything came to it. 

********** 

At eight years of age, Kou made a new friend. Her name was Kodomo Hideko. The two hit it off well, though no one would expect it. 

Kodomo Hideko was a small girl with blonde hair and brown eyes. She was rather pudgy for an eight-year-old, and she was also very quiet and very shy. A rather plain girl. 

Seiya Kou was her opposite. With her black hair, sapphire eyes and strong body, she was loud, cheerful, and popular. Everybody loved her. 

So nobody took any notice when the teacher introduced the new girl. All were bent over their note books, or passing notes, doodling, doing anything but facing the front. 

"Class, please welcome Kodomo Hideko." There were some half-hearted greetings but none bothered looking up. Hideko flushed, obviously embarrassed to be ignored like this. 

"Are there any spare seats here?" continued the teacher. Nobody bothered raising their hands, even though there were at least three or four of them. Kou frowned; why didn't anybody say anything? Didn't they see how nervous she was, and how distressed that nobody would offer even a sign of friendship? 

She stood, and pointed to the seat beside her. 

"I am Seiya Kou. Welcome to this class. You can sit here if you like," she said, grinning. Hideko smiled brilliantly, lighting up her whole face, and all could see that she was not, indeed, plain. The others immediately looked up, greeting her. 

"Hey, Hideko." 

"Nice to meet you." 

"How are you going?" 

"Thank you," she whispered, before walking forward and taking it. 

"If you need anything, just give us a yell," said Kou. Hideko smiled again, and Kou wondered how anyone could think her plain. 

At recess however, Kou forget all about the new girl to play a game of kick ball. 

"Third base! Come on!" 

"Throw to third base!" 

It was Kou's turn to 'bat', when she noticed again the young girl sitting, watching them all half enviously. Obviously nobody had invited her to play. Kou smiled once, and waved for Hideko to join them, regretting that she had abandoned her like that. 

"Yo! 'Deko! Come play!" The girl looked startled, equally so at the nick name and the invitation. 

"Are you sure? I don't want to come in the middle," she said. Kou shook her head. 

"Nah, it isn't a problem. Second team hasn't… 'batted' yet." Hideko nodded, stood forward, and looked at both teams. 

"Where-" Kou waved her over. 

"You can go on my time." A boy named Dagu on the opposite team frowned. 

"But that means you'll have an extra player," he protested. 

"Glad you can count," answered Kou sarcastically. "One of you can just have another kick or something." Dagu nodded, albeit reluctantly, and Hideko flushed faintly, embarrassed at his obvious reluctance for her to join. The 'New Girl.' 

"When do I go?" she asked. Kou waved for her to go first. 

"You know the drill. Kick. Hard. Then run. Fast." 

They were friends after that, Kou bringing Hideko out of her shell and Hideko giving Kou all the ego-boosting that she needed. They matched each other perfectly, with their strengths and weaknesses, Kou's masculinity and Hideko's femininity. 

It was as if they were… two peas in a pod. 

********** 

Orisa tied up the package carefully, and then walked out into the hallway. Kou was quickly tying on her shoes, her sword lying on the ground beside her. 

More then once she cursed the man who bought her that. Orisa smiled fondly at her daughter, trying to stop thinking about the future. 

_God knows even thinking about it has bought us so much trouble!_ She fumed inwardly. 

Outwardly, though, she put on a smile. She wanted to let her daughter live the life of a normal girl as long as it was possible. 

"Kou-kou." The girl in question scowled; she hated the nickname. It was a pain in the ass, it was stupid and worse of all it was childish. None of the other students had to put up with something like that, or if they did, it wasn't as pathetic as 'Kou-kou'. Not to mention the fact that at least their parents used those nicknames in private. More then one occasion, Orisa had called her that in front of the whole class. How humiliating! 

"What?" she said, turning to face her mother. Orisa started at her tone, staring at her daughter. Kou rarely used that tone with her; only when she was truly upset over something. Quickly, she went through all the reasons her daughter could be upset with her in her mind. 

"Your lunch," she said, handing it to her. Her mind came up with a blank. "Is anything wrong?" Kou frowned, glaring slightly at her, and she wondered briefly where that look had come from. That… cold, glare, that made someone want to wither and die in front of you. 

Orisa started. She had seen that look once, on Yukio's face, many years ago. Silently, she cursed Kasei's name again. 

"Yes… could you please stop calling me Kou-kou??" she demanded. Orisa started again, slightly hurt. That nickname had been hers since she was just a little child! Another part of her child was going; even if it were a small part. 

"What's wrong with that name, Kou-kou?" she asked. Kou frowned again. 

"Ma, I'm sorry…" her face hardened slightly. "It's annoying. It's… babyish! Can't you just call me by my name?" 

_No! That is your name! Don't do this! Oh God please!_

"But- that IS your name!" 

"No it's not! It's just a childish version of it! I hate it! It's so tiresome!" the young girl gripped her sword. 

_Where does a girl her age learn the word 'tiresome',_ wondered Orisa. She had not noticed her daughter pick up the sword. 

"Mum, please, just don't call me that anymore." She sighed, relenting. 

"Ok, Kou, if that is what you wish." She was rewarded with a smile, and then Kou ran outside clutching her sword. 

It was just the small things that went. Kou didn't like to be fussed over anymore. She wanted no part of the 'childish and babyish' nickname. She preferred spending time with Kasei over time with her family. It had been so long since they had truly talked. 

Orisa felt like crying. 

********** 

_"Look at them." _

"What?" 

"Those flowers." 

"… What about them, Yukio?" 

"They're blooming." 

********** 

_Wake up._

"Nngh," mumbled Kou. She buried herself deeper into her blankets, unwilling to wake just yet. 

_Wake up, Sweet heart._

_That voice sounds familiar…_ thought Kou drowsily. 

_Kou, stop bull-shitting me. Wake up or you'll be late._

Abruptly, her eyes flew open, and Kou sat up, staring in bewilderment at her surroundings. 

"Kasei?" she wondered out loud. Nothing except the morning breeze greeted her, and she frowned. It was rather strange. That blasted voice always had to wake up! It sounded a lot like Kasei too, except, as far as Kou was concerned, Kasei had no magickal abilities to speak of. She dared not tell anybody; her parents always put on sour looks when she mentioned his name. Bini and Sofi would just laugh and wave her away, saying something about hormones while Shi would snigger and tease her. So that left Hideko, and Kou wasn't sure she wanted to tell 'Deko anything. 

It wasn't that she didn't trust Hideko. She worried what her best friend might think of her. 

'Deko was sweet, but sometimes her conscience would get the best of her. Kou would be in the sick-bay being checked up on the voices in her head faster than anybody could say 'fast-talking-fighters'. 

"I am decidedly going mad." Kou closed her eyes again, groaned, then sat up, rubbing her head. She stilled, taking in the quietness in the house. It was a bit too quiet. She could hear some faint sounds downstairs, but they didn't sound like the ones she normally woke up to. It was too unnatural. This had happened before, but her mind never screamed at her to be careful like it did now. 

_I have learned that you can never be too careful. If your instincts tell you something is wrong, then you follow them. Don't let your guard down, until you are certain nothing is wrong._ Kou took in a deep breath, as Kasei told her inside what to do. She got up slowly, taking her katana down from the shelf before edging towards the door. Her mind barely registered the red flowers blooming by her window. Briefly, she wondered if she was just over-reacting. 

Quietly, Kou padded across the hallway, down the stairs, making as little noise as possible. She picked her way across Shi's scattered toys, peering carefully into rooms before continuing on. 

All of them were empty. 

Finally, she arrived at the living room. Some quiet sounds came from within, of people talking, and Kou frowned again. 

Were there visitors? Not this early in the morning though… 

She pushed the door open and aimed the end of the katana straight at the person's chest. 

"Holy mother of –! Don't do that!" Kou blinked, and lowered it, flushing. Her whole family and Kasei were in the living room. All except Shi were sitting- her younger brother was now staring almost terrified at the blade. His shirt was ripped; he would have to get rid of it. 

"I'm – sorry –" she muttered, lowering it. 

"You did not use your senses, Kou," stated Kasei coolly from his seat. She flushed; he had been right. Had she been focusing, Shi would not nearly have been gutted. 

"I'm sorry Shi," she repeated. She tried her usual 'I'm-so-great-and-there's-nothing-you-can-do-about-it' grin. Her brother stepped back quickly, nodding. She ignored his reply though, because something still seemed wrong. All her family was tense, but she knew it was because of Kasei. Daiki and Orisa were never happy when he came, and that created tension so thick you could carve it with a katana. Kasei was discomforted too; he met her eyes squarely, and she knew that he felt the same thing as her. 

"Sit down, Kou," murmured her mother. She glanced pointedly at the katana, but Kou did not set it aside. She held onto it tightly as she sat down next to Kasei, balancing it between her legs carefully. 

"What's wrong?" she asked. Daiki smiled tightly at her, and she stared back defiantly. She had long since stopped feeling guilty whenever they did that. 

"Kasei, has an idea-" 

The air between them shimmered. The image of an incredibly beautiful woman stood there, in golden armor. Her beauty, however, was warped because of the cruel smirk on her face. Crystals floated all around her, bathing her in a light. 

The feeling was still partly there. The cold, dead feeling, that something bad was going to happen. 

"– training. You can have a better education there, and you'll meet the Princess. Kou, Kasei wants you to go to the palace. They'll… accept you." Kou blinked, staring first at her family then at Kasei. None of them with the exception of Kasei seemed to notice what had just happened, the woman appearing. The man himself wore a small frown. He held a packet in his hands. 

_Cards,_ she thought. _A future-teller's cards._

"Why don't we let the girl decide after school?" said Kasei loudly. "Give her some time to think." Kou hurriedly tried to remember what Daiki had been telling her. 

_Oh. Yeah. The whole going to the palace to be educated thing. Great._

She stood up, near slicing her face in half with her katana, and then walked back upstairs to change. 

Entering her room, she hung the katana up then walked to her closet, opening it. 

She was not a fussy dresser, unlike Bini and Sofi. She knew that she could look good in anything. 

Her hand automatically when to the customary shirt and un-matching pants, but then she stopped. Kou took out the white shirt with the golden buttons. Her hand reached for the black, near skin-tight pants, and a pair of white socks. 

Kou stripped down, glaring at herself in the mirror. She was growing. Muttering a curse, she reached for a breast band too. There would be no stopping from wearing one of those curse things now. 

Quickly, she clipped it into place, before pulling the rest of her clothes on. Reaching into the closet again, Kou reached for her black combat boots; the one she always wore for training. A belt was the first and final accessory; she didn't really need one. It was only there for show- and there to clip a sword on. 

She trotted out, feeling remarkably light in the clothes. They were simple to fight in- though it didn't seem so with the pants- and very easy to move in. 

Kasei waited in the living room. He held two bags in one hand; her school bag, and another one. Delicious smells wafted from it, and her stomach growled. His sword was clipped to his side, and in his other had gleamed a- 

"Bloody hell!" 

"Kou!" 

"Watch your language!" 

"Don't swear!" she winced, and Kasei sniggered. In his hand there gleamed a new sword. From this distance she could tell already the finest blade-maker in Kinmoku had made it. Its edge was very sharp; she had no doubt it could split a hair from her head, and the balance was probably excellent as well. 

"Improving your form," explained Kasei casually. "It helps if you have a good sword to go with it." It looked much like the one Kasei had by his side. Kou bounded over to his side, took it gingerly out of her hand and then clipped it to her side; much like Kasei. 

"Let's go Munchkin," he said. Kou grimaced but did not say anything. 

"Bye Ma! By Da! Shi, keep out of trouble! See ya later Sofi, and Bini!" the family answered back, maybe more coolly than they usually did, but she ignored it. It was still too early; she didn't have to be at school for another hour, but if Kasei came at this time it meant he wanted to train and that nothing would stop him. 

Hm. 

She looked up at the tall man walking in front of her curiously, wondering why he led her to her school now. 

He could be strange, at times, when he acted like he knew everything, or when they trained, or when – never mind. People always looked at him with awe. They probably would've bowed to him even if he dressed in rags. Kou imitated the way he walked, and started thinking about her sword instead. She snickered – the boys would be so jealous of her! 

When they arrived in the school grounds, Kasei set the bags down onto a bench. Kou took off her sword, and he did the same. They set them leaning carefully against the bench. 

"Start your warm up exercises," he ordered. She frowned, but nodded at his look, and he turned away. 

********** 

Kasei walked around the court yard, frowning in thought. He wondered if it would be a good idea to send her away, considering her reaction from this morning, and then decided he might as well ask. 

If she agreed, she'd go. 

If she refused, well, she'd still go. 

Kou was done stretching by now. 

Kasei walked back to her. The both took one step away from each other, bowed, and then unsheathed their swords. 

"Guard." 

********** 

Kou wasn't keeping track of time. 

After a while, Kasei started speaking. 

"The palace can train you further in the martial arts." Jab. 

"You're a good enough swordsman." They circled each other. 

"One must always improve their ability as much as possible. 'Good enough' is not acceptable." He turned to the side, avoiding a blow. 

A small crowd had gathered at this time. 

"What about my family? The palace – for crying out loud! – will take years to reach!" Kou blocked one of his parries. 

"You're over exaggerating." Block. 

"Friends and family. I would be all alone." They met in a clash of the swords, faces inches away from each other. It was rather strange, watching Kasei tower over Kou. 

"You will make new ones." Kasei quickly stepped back, and Kou flailed slightly, losing her balance. Kasei darted in again, resting the tip of his sword on her neck. 

"Yield." 

********** 

Hideko gasped slightly as Kasei pressed the tip of the sword into Kou's neck. The girl dropped her sword, raising her hands up slowly. 

"I will make new ones?" 

"Yes." 

"Will I like them?" 

"Yes." 

"I will still see my family and friends?" 

"Of course." 

"Kasei, please give me some time." 

"Certainly, Kou." The two stepped back again, and bowed. "This session is over." 

She could not understand what had just occurred in the conversation. Was Kou actually considering leaving?? 

Hideko looked at Kasei with resentment. 

She had met this man almost immediately after she met Kou - the next day, in fact. After school, he was there waiting for them. He had smiled first at Kou, then at her, but the one for herself did not reach his eyes. This man did not like her. How much, she wasn't sure yet. 

She dared not say anything to Kou. Her best friend adored the man; looked up to him. She had known him since she was a toddler, and he had always supported her in her decisions when no one would. 

When Kou had introduced them to each other, he had smiled easily and said, 'Any friend of Kou's is a friend of mine.' His clear eyes had stared at her though, reading into her soul, all her secrets and her desires. It was like he knew all about her and was just reviewing her history. His manner towards her had been charming. 

But… 

She looked up at again; the hairs on her neck were rising. 

He stared at her, with those clear eyes. She looked into them, trying to read them, and, all she could see was the knowledge of… something. Something that he and only he knew. That he had to do something, and there was nothing that anybody could do to stop him. He could be causing the apocalypse and nobody would have no hint until it did happen. 

And then it was just them, standing in space. And he, the man known as Kasei, spoke. His mouth did not move, but he was saying something and somehow she could hear him. 

_Dare interfere, and you will regret it. I have powers beyond your imagination._

And everything was normal, and he was chatting with Kou and handing her food from the bag. 

"Eat slowly. You just had exercise." 

Did that truly happen? Hideko shivered. This man was dangerous. He was not to be crossed. 

********** 

The day was boringly boring. That was all there was to say. She yawned slightly, and then glanced down lovingly at her sword. For some reason the teacher had allowed her to wear it. Kou thought that Kasei had something to do with it. 

Nobody could disobey any of his commands, with out severe consequences. 

Now, as the teacher droned on and on math somehow implementing her technique of boring the students from hell to back, she drifted off, and stared out the window. She longed to be out there, practicing the Fighting Arts. 

Her nose twitched. 

She wanted to wield her sword – or her glaive – or – anything! – that could cause damage. 

Meh. 

Something stirred at the back of her mind. 

She wanted to be able to fight like the heroes in all the myths. She wanted to keep war and violence and confidence ready to be unleashed just like the Starlights were said to have done. [1] 

It stirred again. 

Kou wrinkled her nose; what was that?! It was so annoying! 

"Kou, is there anything wrong?" the girl in question started; everybody was watching her with either confusion, amusement or both. 

"No – nothing, Ms." 

**Danger.**

"It certainly didn't look it. Is my math class so boring?" 

**Danger.**

"No – no – It's just that – something feels… strange!" 

**Danger.**

"I'm sure it's just you're imagination." 

**DANGER.**

"No! Ms – really!" 

The room froze – everybody was bathed in light – and the ground exploded. The screams of her school mates rang in her ears. Two voices so familiar called out orders to each other, and there was a third… silky… or, like velvet… dangerous… 

"– really, you should pay more attention in class!" Kou blinked in confusion; everything was fine! The explosion; that was just her imagination! Kou bowed her head in apology and promised not to do it again. 

The stirring at the back of her mind stopped. 

At lunch, Hideko grabbed her arm, pulled her to the corner and demanded to know what was wrong. 

"I swear! I don't know! It was probably just my imagination. I hear that staring out windows does that to you." 

"Kou… if there is anything you need to talk about, you can come to me, you know that right?" 

"Yes." But her tone didn't convince either of them, and Hideko continued to press. 

"Kou, you have to listen-" her voice began to fade in and out, as that something in her mind began to stir again. Everything dimmed. 

**Danger. **

Danger. 

Danger. 

"– please, I know there-" the warnings came more frequently now. 

**Dangerdangerdangerdangerdangerdangerdangerdangerdangerdangerdanger -**

"Kou, listen-" 

**Evilcomesdestroyeverythingnoonesurviveevilcomesdestroyeverythingnoonesurvive -**

"– what is –" 

**Musttransformfightprotectcan'tletanybodydiemusttransformfightprotectcan'tletanybodydie -**

"– answer –" 

**TRANSFORMASISYOURWILLFIGHTER –**

"– Kou –" 

**TAKEUPYOURSWORDNOTIMETOPREPAREFASTAPPROACHINGNONEHERECANHELPTHEYARETOOGONEHEISHEREBUTCANHENOTIMETOLOSEPREPAREORDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE**

"Everybody get down and stay down!!!" roared a man's voice. The children in the courtyard stopped their games looked around confused. 

And around them, the ground exploded. Evil laughter resounded. 

********** 

Hideko looked around wildly, in confusion. Students and teachers alike were shrieking with terror, running around the court searching desperately for escape. 

There was none. They had been boxed in. 

There was a huge gust of wind, and Hideko felt herself being pushed towards the side, up against the walls that blocked them from safety. 

_Stay or die._

Around her, all the other people were being pushed too. Hideko soon couldn't breathe; bodies smothered her, each trying to break free and run. 

_Stay or die._

In front of them, the air shimmered, and Hideko could see people pressing against something. Only one person was not protected, if you will. She stood in the middle, head down, her sword drawn. 

"You fool!" shrieked Hideko. Kou did not seem to hear her; her eyes searched the ground desperately, for some reason. 

Her head snapped up suddenly, and she looked wildly around her. She seemed to be following the movements of something. 

_"Are you afraid girl?!"_ demanded a voice. Inhumane. _"Are you afraid of your destiny?!"_ They were all silent now. It was obvious who that voice addressed. 

Kou's mouth worked. She was frightened, but her face hardened with determination. 

"I am not afraid of anything!" 

_"Will you say that once you find out what your future holds for you?"_

"I will not falter!" 

_"You speak the words of Kasei. How am I to believe you?"_ Hideko frowned. Kasei? What… 

Her thought was answered soon enough. 

The air wavered. The wind roared. It was so cold all of a sudden. Air, wind, flew down from the skies whipping around them. It seemed to… solidify; they could all see it. They saw a person. Abruptly, there stood one man. No words could describe his beauty. 

"Ka – Kasei?" asked Kou. She was angry. Obviously at the fact that she had not known he could do those things. 

This was the Kasei that she and Hideko knew, and yet he was not. He seemed to glow; Hideko had never seen any other mortal like him. 

_"Shugoshin Kasei,"_ intoned the mysterious voice. Another figure appeared. Tall, imposing, a black cloak covered the person. None could tell what gender it was. The teacher beside Hideko flinched. At what? She did not know. 

"Her time is not yet." He did not look at anybody else. Kou scowled again. 

"What magic is this?!" she shouted furiously. 

_"Of course it is. Needs must. You of all people should know that."_

"She was to be tested in Delphi, trained at Delphi." The teacher was sweating profusely. 

"Needs must." Kou was obviously very confused. Kasei turned to her, and from where she was Hideko had to gasp. 

Now she knew why he seemed so different. 

His face was empty of everything. 

Only purpose remained. 

_"Guardian God Kasei, you do not control the future. This will happen now. If Kou survives, then your time has been well spent. If she dies, then one year will not give you the perfect soldier."_

Kasei did not flinch. All others present did. They recognized now the title 'Shugoshin'. Only four held it. Kasei lowered his head slightly in acquiescence. 

"If the girl dies, the girl dies." He turned and walked to the edge where she was. 

"You bastard!" shrieked Kou. "How dare you betray me!" Hideko thought she saw something flicker through his eyes, but dismissed it. 

The cloaked figure disappeared – and in its place was the mother of all monsters…! Huge, muscled, with a nice set of sharp claws, Kou would not stand a chance. 

_"You will fight! As your trainer says… if you die, you die!"_ the monster attacked immediately. Kou gasped, rolling to the side and just managing to avoid a set of vicious looking claws. 

Hideko could only watch in shock. 

The monster hurled Kou's figure to the side, and then advanced on her. 

"Kasei, why did you do this?" she asked. 

Kou had long since abandoned the use of the sword. Now she worked only on keeping herself from being disemboweled. 

_"Don't waste my time girl! Fight!"_

"The Guardian Gods are supposed to be good people." 

"Why me?!" came the hoarse cry of Kou. She stifled a shriek – the monster had managed to strike her. There was a long cut along her arm, and it bled profusely. 

_"Fight – or you will die by my hand."_

"I don't know how to! I'm not a Sailor Soldier!" Kou sounded ashamed. Hideko thought she heard both Kasei and the voice snigger. 

_"It is in you."_ The monster stopped suddenly. It glowed, uttering several low growls, and suddenly there were three of them. Three identical ones. They flexed their arms. The three ran forward, leaping and striking at where Kou stood. 

Kasei swore suddenly. The holes in the ground were more than that – craters. 

"All equally powerful." He frowned. "But can I interfere…?" he unsheathed his sword, moving so quickly like the wind. He was just in time to shield Kou from a blow of one of the monsters. 

"I will not have you die now!" he growled. "I have worked far too hard to let this planet die!" Kou only grinned shakily at him, blinking when her sword was in her hands. 

_"I do not appreciate interference."_

For a moment, everything was still. Hideko shivered; it seemed as if something was looking them over, trying to decide which was suitable enough to feed to the monsters. 

The world spun around her, and she was tempted to empty her guts on the floor. 

Cool air was around her, quite different to the one that had protected the teachers and students. 

She stood in the open, and one of the monsters looked quite hungry. 

********** 

_"I would have you lower your shields when the time is right." _

"People could be harmed for this." 

"Would Pythia truly do something like that?" 

"Would you put it past her?" 

"Lower your shields and see what happens." 

********** 

They were all suddenly free. Kou could see that. Now nothing stood between them and a slow, painful dead in a monsters' cook pot. Kasei stood in the middle of the battle ground, watching her. 

Then all the screams started. Bodies were ripped open, guts poured out onto the grounds. Kou stared in horror. All around her, people, her friends and classmates and teachers were being ripped to shreds. Her heart began to throb, and her mind screamed at her to do something. 

The smell of death and pain was all around her. 

"Please help us!" 

"Stop!" 

"No!" 

"Kou!!" she turned and saw Hideko reaching for her. 

Kou stared at her hand. At the hand that reached out and begged to be held. She looked up into Kasei's eyes, he watched her still. 

_What will you do,_ he seemed to ask. _Will you take her hand or will you follow?_

"Kou!" she backed away, shaking her head. 

"I'm sorry, 'Deko," she said. "I'm sorry…" 

_People are dying. There's nothing I can do. I'm helpless! No matter what I do, I am no match! _

Child, repeat the words after me. 'Fighter Star Power! Make Up!' 

Everything stopped once again. All the blood and gore disappeared. The ones that had been slain stood now, looking around them in amazement. 

It had all been an act, the killing. A tactic used to make her see. 

… But They were not… 

"Fighter Star Power! Make Up!" 

********** 

_"One has returned." "It was not all in vain."_

********** 

"Kou-kou, my sweet child. You've gone so far. And you'll keep going, never looking back." 

********** 

By the Queens' good name, she felt wonderful. A bit cold yes, the skimpy leather-seeming outfit didn't cover much, but she felt wonderful. Power ran through her body. 

"I will not let trash like that pollute the galaxy." A gloved hand lifted. 

"Star… Serious… Laser!" a large energy ball, so bright that all except Kasei and Kou had to look away erupted from her hands and sped towards the monster. It consumed it, the monster shrieking, leaving naught a sign behind. 

The remaining two grunted, shuffling their feet and looking nervous. 

"- Serious Laser!" a second, and then a third erupted from her hand, consuming the last two. 

The light died down. 

The figure appeared once again. 

_"I am Pythia, the Priestess of Delphi. Congratulations, Sailor Star Fighter, you have passed your test."_

********** 

Hideko just stared. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. 

Kou – her Kou – was a Sailor Soldier! It was the stuff of dreams. It was unreal. Kasei, now, seemed to bow to Kou without actually doing so. 

Now, the two of them ignored the others, who were still recovering from their ordeal. Both spoke quickly and quietly, there was a look of excitement on Kou's face now. Her Soldier uniform disappeared, her day clothes reappearing again. 

"You're parents have accepted. I'll take you to see them for a moment after." 

"Okay." 

She seemed to see things in a new light. 

"Kou… don't go." Hideko knew the plea was in vain. Sailor Star Fighter had made her decision when she had backed away, had not taken her hand. Kasei watched her, a warning look in his eyes. 

"I'll write, I promise." They shook hands, and Kou hugged her tightly, magicking up a red flower – a rose. 

"They're growing already. I saw a whole bush of them by my window." There were no thorns; Kou had plucked them away carefully. 

When? 

_Why were you so urgent this time? _

I couldn't tell you; not yet. 

"Watch out for them. I will come back on their blooming day." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

1. *shy grin* From the Wheel of Time. I can't remember what the actual quote was. Lan was said to be able to do that. And I urge any fantasy/sci-fi fans to read the series. 

^^;; And, yeah, Cassandra is right. ^^;; It was inspired by Anne Rice- but only after I saw the name in the site! *crosses heart* I swear! 

Original characters- what do we think of the original characters? There may be more soon. 


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